Distilling apparatus.



No. 7|0,974. Y Patented Oct. l4, I902.

H. HIBZEL.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Sept. 17. 1900.)

(No Model.)

KNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH HIRZEL, OF LEIPSIO-PLAGW'ITZ, GERMANY.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,974, dated October14, 1902.

Application filed September 17,1900, Serial No. 30,320. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HEINRICH HIRZEL, a citizen of the German Empire,residing at Leipsic-Plagwitz, in the Empire of Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Distilling Apparatus; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to distilling apparatus, and in particularto the heating of distilling-columns for the purpose of enabling thedistiller to raise the column-trays to any desired temperature and tomake said temperature uniform for all the trays.

The object of my invention is to provide means for passing the heatingmedium through each of the trays in succession from the uppermost onedownwardly.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide means for conveying theresidual liquid from each tray into the lower part of the next lowertray.

I will now describe my invention in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section;Fig. 2, a side elevation on a plane at right angles to the plane ofsection of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a horizontal section on line A A, Fig. 1;Fig. 4, a similar section on line B B, Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a verticalcentral section of a tray of somewhat-modified construction.

Each column-tray consists of the hollow heating-chest (4, whose upperand lower walls 1 and 2 are connected by vertical radial orsubstantially radial partitions or ribs 5 and 6, the ribs 5 reachingfrom the periphery of the bottom not quite to the inner annular wall ofthe same, While the ribs 6 reach from the inner circular wall not quiteto the periphery of the chest. Thereby the hollow chest is divided intoa number of communicating cells or chambers. One of these ribs, 66,reaches entirely across the hollow chest, thus closing the same off. Onone side of this rib 66 is arranged a steam-inlet 17, Fig. 3, controlledby a steam-valve 13, so that the steam may be permitted to enter or becut oh? at will. The steam enters in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 3 and passes through the circuitous path made by the ribs5 and 6, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6, until it returns to therib 66, near which is arranged the steam-outlet formed by a suitablepipe 12, screwed to the flange 11, formed at this portion of thetray-chest. From the outlet the steam may then be conducted to the nexttray-chest, (in case the trays are not to be heated imlependently,) andso on until the same has passed through all the trays, whereupon it willbe carried off through the waste-pipe 14, Fig. 2.

Manifestly the entire series of trays-for example, two, three, four, ormore-or the entire column may be heated from one pipe.

Each tray-chest,as shown in Figs. 1,3,and 4, is provided with twooverflow-pipes S, which are so arranged that the overflow-pipes of onetray do not lie vertically above and below the overflow-pipes of thetray above or below. These overflow-pipes are of such a length thattheir lower ends reach nearly to the bottom of the next tray below. Bythis arrangement theoverflow from each tray is caught by the tray nextbelow. Each tray-bottom is, moreover, provided with a central opening orflue 7, whose upper edges are somewhat higher than the upper edges ofthe overflow-pipes 8. Over these openings 7 are arranged bellshapedcovers 15, whose lower edges extend below the upper edges of the flue'7, so that the dry steam, hot air, or the like which is to be let intothe column through the valve 16 in passing through the annular openingbetween the cover 15 and the flue 7 is forced to pass successivelythrough the liquid in the series of trays.

The liquid or other matter to be distilled is introduced through theinlet t' in the uppermost portion e of the column, and passing from thefirst tray down to the one next below and from the latter to the nextone in succession, and so on, the residual liquid gradually reaches thelowermost portion dot the column. From this the residues are carried offthrough the waste-pipe h. The distillate escapes through the outlet isin the coverf of the column.

The column-trays are preferably so constructed that the heating-chest a,the lateral wall 1), and the flange c of each tray are integral.However, each column-tray may also be made of two or more parts-forexample, the heating-chest in one integral part and the lateral walls inanotherthese two portions being then suitably fastened or screwedtogether.

The form of the heating-passages in the tray-chest may also be made inany desired or suitable way, although I consider the form represented inthe drawings as the most suitable for general purposes, because by thesame the path of the heating-fluid is made as circuitous as possible.

Where already existing column apparatus or columns having noheating-chest are to be employed in connection with my novel system ofindividual heating of the trays, the parts may be advantageouslyarranged in the manner indicated in Fig. 5, in which a heating coil orpipe 1" is arranged at or near the bottom of each tray m.

As already set forth in connection with the first described heatingarrangement, each tray under the latter construction is adapted to beindividually heated according to the accuracy of temperature that may bedemanded for all of the trays, or any desired number of columns or traysmay be heated together.

It will be observed that under my invention each column is one completeclosed distilling apparatus, in which the raw material is introducedfrom above and which yields only one distillate or fractioncorresponding to the temperature employed.

It will be seen from the above that my invention resides essentially, inprovidinga series of heating elements consisting each of a single or aset of trays, each of which elements is individually heated or connectedwith the source of heat independently of the other elements. Thepreferable form of trays embodying this idea is that in which each trayis provided with a hollow chest having a circuitous passage for theheating fluid, as shown.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a distilling-column, the combination of a series of superposedtrays, each having an annular hollow heating-chest and a centralaperture, said chest having one radial vertical partition closing theannular space, and also a series of radial partitions extending from theinner vertical wall outwardly, and a series of radial partitionsextending from the peripheral wall axially, the latter said partitionsalternating with the former partitions; the chest also having an inletnear the said closing-partition, and an outlet also near saidclosing-partition but on the opposite side of the same from said inlet.

2. In a distilling-column, the combination of a series of superposedtrays, each having 7 an annular hollow heating-chest and a centralaperture, said chest having one radial vertical partition closing theannular space, and also a series of radial partitions extending from theinner vertical wall outwardly, and a series of radial partitionsextending from the peripheral wall axially, the latter said partitionsalternating with the former partitions; the chest also having an inletnear the said closing-partition, and an outlet also near said closingpartition but on the opposite side of the same from said inlet, one ormore overflow-pipes in said trays, a flange extending upwardly in saidtray around said central aperture and having its upper edge above thelevel of the upper edge of the overflow-pipe, and a bell overhangingsaid flange and having its lower edge projecting into the tray anddisposed below the level of the upper edge of said overflow-pipe.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HEINRICH HIRZEL.

Witnesses: I

ORwIN HELBING, RUDOLPH FRICKE.

